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EDL

Suspended jail term handed to English Defence League protester

By
July 23, 2013
CRASBO, EDL, English Defence League, Public order offence, Racial Conviction, religiously-aggravated offence, Suspended sentence, threatening behaviour

A protester at an English Defence League march in Walsall has been given a suspended jail term and banned from any demonstrations for four years.

Peter Jelley outside Walsall Magistrates Court

Peter Jelley was caught on CCTV gesturing and shouting at a line of police in Walsall as trouble broke out at the rally last autumn. He was sentenced to 20 weeks in custody, suspended by a year, and given a Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order at the town’s magistrates court.

The 24-year-old from Shropshire admitted a public order offence of using threatening or abusive behaviour at a previous court hearing and was sentenced yesterday.

The footage from the afternoon of September 29 was played to District Judge Michael Morris and showed Jelley walking up to officers and ‘gesticulating and shouting.’ This was despite the efforts of a female to pull him away.

Mr Paul Nicholas, defending, said: “He has faced up to what he has done, he has faced up to being part of the march. He is shameful of what he has done.”

He insisted his client had disassociated himself from others and had become angry after a relative was hurt. The court was told Jelley has previous convictions for a racially aggravated offence in 2011 and assault the year before.

District Judge Michael Morris said: “You went there knowing what would happen. You were on the frontline facing up to police, clearly agitated and pointing to police.”

Jelley, of Prescott Close, Shrewsbury, was sentenced to five months in custody, suspended for a year.

He was also ordered to do 250 unpaid work and go to an adult attendance centre for 36 hours.

He was also ordered to pay £80 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Express & Star

Restaurant workers fear ‘racist’ attacks

By
July 22, 2013
criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, Racist Abuse

STAFF at an Indian restaurant in Bridgwater believe they are being targeted on religious and racist grounds following a spate of attacks.

This week a man was convicted for religiously aggravated criminal damage and provocation of violence at the Spice Club in Eastover.

But there have been further reports of an assault on a waiter, racial abuse and criminal damage.

Waiter Mehbub Kamali, 19, who claims he was punched on one occasion, told the Mercury: “I have been attacked for no other reason than the colour of my skin.”

Last Tuesday, Sedgemoor Magistrates heard how Ashley Wilson, 24, smashed a glass pane at the restaurant and threatened to cut waiters’ faces because they served Halal meat.

The court heard he asked Mr Kamali and Sultan Ahmet “Are you Muslim?”

When they said yes, he said “I’m going to cut your face” and that it was “because I’m EDL [English Defence League].”

Mr Kamali said: “It’s happening again and again and it’s terrifying. I wonder what’s next?”

Wilson, of Claremont Grove, admitted the attack on September 26 and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £165 compensation and £85 costs. In mitigation, Crispin Hayllar said he had drunk too much and acted out of character.

Police confirmed this week that a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage for an attack on the restaurant on November 3, and have been released on bail.

Police said there had been allegations of racial abuse but they were keeping an open mind.

Anyone with information about the incident on November 3 can call police on 0845-4567000.

This is the West Country

Plymouth women admit their part in religiously-motivated assault

By
July 22, 2013
affray, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated common assault, Racist Abuse

A PAIR of women have been warned they may face jail after admitting involvement in a religiously-motivated assault on a Kurdish woman at a city centre takeaway.

Hayley Wells, 28, and Kelly Watterson, 30, were charged in relation to an attack on Sawda Kurdo at Istanbul Kebab in Exeter Street on August 31, 2011. The pair were due to stand trial, but changed their pleas to guilty at Plymouth Crown Court today.

  1. ​Hayley Wells, 28, and Kelly Watterson, 30, were charged in relation to an attack on Sawda Kurdo at Istanbul Kebab in Exeter Street

    Hayley Wells, 28, and Kelly Watterson, 30, were charged in relation to an attack on Sawda Kurdo at Istanbul Kebab in Exeter Street

Watterson, of St Peter’s Road, Manadon, admitted one count of affray and Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, admitted one count of religiously aggravated common assault.

The prosecution offered no evidence in relation to the charge of affray against Wells and religiously aggravated assault against Watterson.

They were released on bail and ordered not to go within 100 metres of the kebab shop.

Recorder Jonathan Barnes told the pair: “This is a serious case. In adjourning it, I make no promises about what the sentence will be. All options, including immediate custody, are on the table.”

The Herald previously reported that Wells and Watterson were among a group drinking in the Wild Coyote pub near the kebab shop on the night of the incident. A court was told that the Kurdish family inside the kebab shop were subjected to racist abuse by a group shouting ‘EDL’.

Watterson was alleged to have thrown a glass into the shop which shattered.

Last year Michael Rafferty, 34 and formerly from Devonport, was convicted of resisting a police officer during the “large scale disorder” which involved about 30 people.

Wells and Watterson will be sentenced on February 22.

This is Plymouth

`Never again’ plea

By
July 22, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Public order offence

AN URGENT call for help has been made to the government to protect Nuneaton from falling victim to the English Defence League again.

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council leader, councillor Dennis Harvey wants the Home Secretary Theresa May to take action as the town has been targeted by the controversial group more than any other place in the entire country.

A letter, signed by Cllr Harvey, Cllr Peter Gilbert, the leader of the opposing Conservatives at the Town Hall, and chief executive Christine Kerr, has been sent to the corridors of power in Parliament asking for help following the most recent demonstration and march.

“Saturday saw the fourth visit of the English Defence League to our borough, a visit that brought nothing but fear, problems and enormous cost to local residents,” Cllr Harvey said.

“From what I can gather, we have now been targeted more than any other town in Britain.

“The borough council, along with the county council, has asked the Home Secretary to act in regard to the EDL. The local authorities, nor the police, can continue to deal with this problem alone. Nuneaton and Bedworth is a harmonious community, where people of all cultures and backgrounds get along well together. Attempts to disrupt this and divide us will not win, but we cannot do this alone. “The government must act to protect small towns such as ours.”

As featured in yesterday’s News, businesses and market traders are now counting the cost of the demonstration and march.

Early indications are that around half a million pound in revenue was lost on the day, but that shocking figure could rise further.

Despite some businesses choosing to close and others shutting up shop by the afternoon, there were stores and market stall holders who attempted to trade throughout the day.

Their determination to ensure it was `business as usual,’ as well as the huge policing effort to protect the town has been praised by Cllr Harvey.

“Can I pass on my thanks to those residents and to the market traders, shopkeepers and others who decided to stand firm and not let people from elsewhere ‘win’,” he said.

“Our local police deserve nothing but praise for the way in which they handled this march and dealt with the many hundreds of people who came in to our borough to disrupt daily life.”

Chiefs at Warwickshire Race Equality Partnership (WREP) joined the plaudits, particularly those who took part in the counter demonstration in the Church Street car park.

“A big thankyou to the communities of Nuneaton, who have shown great strength and courage, and listened to community leaders to stand together against far right parties and not to rise to provocation and enticement,” said Helal Shahid, WREP chief executive.

“I am pleased that Saturday passed peacefully, nevertheless, anyone who does need support, help or advice on how to report any racist incident can do so through one of our reporting centres.”

The huge policing operation almost certainly stopped simmering tensions boiling over into violence moments after the EDL’s official march had started at just after 1pm.

It came to a nasty flashpoint as the march came past the Church Street car park where around 150 Nuneaton Anti-Facist Alliance (NAFA)and associated group members were staging a peaceful static, counter demonstration.

Cans, bottles, stones and fireworks were thrown, and angry words and chants were exchanged between the rival protesters.

It came to an ugly climax when both sides surged towards each other and police horses, dogs and riot officers had to rush-in to keep the two apart.

The march then proceeded around onto Vicarage Street, past the Justice Centre, down into Bond Gate and then back up Wheat Street and into the Justice Walk car park, where an EDL rally was held.

But the policing operation carried on way after the coaches had arrived to collect the majority of the sympathisers, who came from across the country.

As a result of the huge police presence, seven arrests were made, which led to three people being charged and they are now due to appear before justices at Nuneaton Magistrates Court.

They are Calum Michael Bruce, aged 23 from Hartshill, Nuneaton who was charged with a public order offence.

Kevin Patrick Keegan, aged 44 and from Walsall, who was charged with a public order offence, and Gary Watson, aged 42 from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, who has been charged with being drunk and disorderly.

All three have been released on police bail to appear before Magistrates at the Vicarage Street-based court on Tuesday.

A 17-year-old male from Nuneaton who was arrested for possession of a knife has received a final warning. A 16-year-old male and a 17-year-old male, both from Nuneaton, who were arrested on suspicion of causing affray have been released on police bail.

So has a 21-year-old man from Nottingham, who was arrested on suspicion of robbery. All three have been bailed to appear at the local police station at a later date, pending further police enquiries.

Nuneaton News

The BNP past of the EDL leader

By
July 22, 2013
actual bodily harm, BNP, Drugs, EDL, English Defence League, Jailed, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, Tommy Robinson

Searchlight can exclusively reveal that the leader of the English Defence League is a former British National Party member who has served 12 months’ imprisonment for assaulting an off-duty police officer.

Tommy Robinson in Newcastle Searchlight can exclusively reveal that the leader of the English Defence League is a former British National Party member who has served 12 months’ imprisonment for assaulting an off-duty police officer.

Self-proclaimed EDL leader Tommy Robinson is really Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, from Bedford.

In 2004 he joined the BNP with a family membership. In the same year he assaulted an off-duty police officer who intervened to stop a domestic incident between Yaxley-Lennon and his partner Jenna Vowles. During the scuffle Yaxley-Lennon kicked the officer in the head.

He was convicted on 18 April 2005 for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, for which he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, and assault with intent to resist arrest, for which he received a concurrent term of three months.

Vowles, also a BNP member, was cautioned for possession of cocaine. She told the court that the she found two empty bags in her house and was taking them out so that her parents did not find them.

Yaxley-Lennon attended Putteridge High School in Luton and moved to nearby Bedford more recently. Robinson also claims on his Facebook site that he attended Putteridge school.

The revelation that Robinson had been a member of the BNP explains why so many of the initial EDL activists also attended BNP meetings in the Luton/Bedford area.

More importantly, it dispels the myth that the roots of the EDL are not in hard-core racism.

It destroys the protestations by the EDL leadership that, “They aren’t the BNP and they aren’t Nazis,” made at their phoney press conference held last September in a disused Luton warehouse, where they unfurled a swastika flag and proceeded to try to set it alight for the cameras.

It also explains the real reason why Robinson felt the need to hide his face.

Robinson’s reaction on Facebook to his exposure
Robinson’s reaction on Facebook to his exposure

Apart from his BNP membership and his convictions for violence, Robinson told a BBC film crew that he lived in a part of Luton where Islamic fanatics lived and that he feared for his safety. The reality is somewhat different as he lives in Wilstead, a relatively leafy village on the outskirts of Bedford.

The exposure of his identity follows a split in the EDL that is mostly being fought over the internet.

Paul Ray, self-styled spiritual guru of the EDL, has posted a series of messages on his Lionheart blog, in which he and his friend Nick Greger announce their intention to take control of the EDL. Ray was the original mover in creating the EDL, although he quickly fell out with the other leaders and moved abroad to Malta. Ray has focused his efforts on making Crusader-themed anti-Muslim promotional videos, and he and Greger have just issued a notice of “expulsion” of the EDL’s leaders, together with a demand for control of the EDL’s websites.

In one of their videos Greger goes on to say “another well-known man will soon appear within the new leadership, a man from Ulster, who is also currently in exile”.

The real face of the EDL leader: Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, alias Tommy Robinson

This is almost certainly a reference to Greger’s friend Johnny Adair, a prominent loyalist terrorist who now lives in Scotland following an intra-loyalist feud. Adair’s friendship with Greger was the subject of a television documentary in 2006, when Adair met Greger while in prison for plotting acts of terror and was then the head of a nazi group in Dresden, Germany.

It is thought that Ray and Greger were responsible for the appearance of a video on YouTube that unveiled Robinson as Stephen Yaxley along with a series of photographs, following outlandish claims by Ray that the EDL led by Robinson threatened to kidnap and harm members of Ray’s family.

Robinson later confirmed on his Facebook page that the photographs were indeed of him, saying, “Hey at least people can see my hansome [sic] face now”.
Note: Simon Cressy has asked that we credit the blogger Richard Bartholomew (source) for the heads up on Adair/Greiger, and apologises for inadvertently omitting this source.

Hope not Hate

Three in court over alleged racist graffiti

By
July 22, 2013
criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, racist graffiti

THREE people are to appear in court next month accused of spraying racially offensive remarks on three buildings, including a mosque.

It relates to alleged spray painting incidents at the Nasir Mosque, in Brougham Place, Hartlepool, and at the Albert Guest House, in Front Street, and the Milco store, in Front Street, both Shotton Colliery, County Durham, which all took place on Tuesday November 16 last year.

Anthony Donald Smith, 24, of Hampshire Place, Peterlee, and 31-year-old Steven James Vasey, of Prior’s Grange, High Pittington, both County Durham, plus 19-year-old Charlotte Davies, of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, have been charged with racially aggravated criminal damage.

All three have been bailed by police to appear before North Durham magistrates, at Peterlee, on Wednesday May 11.

Durham Police said that at the time of the alleged incidents all three claimed to be members of the English Defence League.

Northern Echo

Eastcote teen Joel Titus banned from protests by far right EDL

By
July 22, 2013
ASBO, EDL, English Defence League, Public order offence

 

Joel Titus

AN Eastcote teenager has been banned from attending protests by far-right group the English Defence League.

Joel Titus, 19, of North View, who has been violent at EDL protests, was slapped with an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Friday.

The court heard about the teenager’s involvement in a string of incidents between 2009 and 2010, which police say were overwhelmingly related to EDL protests.

Titus was barred from entering or loitering outside mosques or Islamic prayer rooms, attending any EDL demonstration, or visiting an area of Whitechapel for three years.

He is not allowed to be part of a group of ten or more people, whose actions could cause alarm or distress, display a sign or placard, or use defamatory or insulting language which could cause alarm or distress.

Detective Constable Andy Haworth, from the national domestic extremism unit, said: “We hope this anti-social behaviour order will show people we will not tolerate violence being used at legitimate lawful protests.”

Edmund Hall, London ASBO specialist at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Mr Titus’ activities were not simple political protest when he became involved in public disorder and violence.

“Where that sort of activity is present, police and the CPS will seek to control the freedom of that individual through prosecution and antisocial behaviour orders.”

The hearing was brought after Titus was convicted for a public order offence and resisted arrest at a pub in Hillingdon, in December 2010.

Harrow Times

EDL member jailed for Liverpool Street football brawl

By
July 22, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, football, Jailed, threatening behaviour

An English Defence League (EDL) member has been jailed for nine months after taking part in a pre-arranged brawl between football supporters in London.

Joel Titus, 19, took part in the “pitched battle” between supporters of Brentford and Leyton Orient outside Liverpool Street station in May 2010.

Titus, of Pinner, north-west London, and five other men admitted affray.

The brawl, during which people punched, kicked and threw bottles, was by “prior arrangement”, the Old Bailey heard.

Dean Wells, 22, of Isleworth, west London, was jailed for 12 months, David Mitchell, 19, of Littlehampton, West Sussex, was sentenced to seven months and Andrew Hudson, 26, of Hornchurch, Essex, was given an eight-month jail term.

Steven Donovan, 20, of Hayes, west London, and Thomas Armstrong, 24, of Woodford Green, Essex, were each given suspended six-month sentences.

‘Frightening spectacle’

Judge Timothy Pontius said all six had taken part in a “disgraceful display of violence” that terrified ordinary people using a busy railway station as bottles were thrown across the street during the fight.

The “pitched battle” must have been a “frightening spectacle”, he said, which required a “firm deterrent message”.

Titus, an A-level student, has previously been convicted of threatening behaviour for swearing at a police officer who was trying to break up a fight. He will be sentenced in May.

The incident took place while he was on bail following the football brawl, the Old Bailey heard.

He also has a previous caution for battery after hitting a journalist during a right-wing demonstration in December 2009.

The teenager is a prominent member of the EDL and has been interviewed on the BBC’s Newsnight programme speaking as the leader of the organisation’s youth division.

Henrietta Paget, for the prosecution, said Brentford-supporting hooligans had travelled to the scene after a game against Hartlepool, to meet rival Leyton Orient supporters, who were on their way back from a match at Colchester in Essex.

The court heard Hudson told police that there was “history” between the clubs dating back to the 1980s.

Titus said he went to the scene after hearing some commotion, but denied any knowledge of the brawl being prearranged.

All six were given football banning orders.

BBC News

EDL protest arrests: Two face court

By
July 22, 2013
conditional discharge, Drugs, EDL, English Defence League, threatening behaviour

Two men have appeared in court after being arrested on the day of the English Defence League (EDL) protest.

Mark Alan Taylor, 39, of The Fairway, Leicester, admitted using threatening and abusive words or behaviour and was give a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £50 costs.

Jay Joseph Willis, 30, of Moorhills Cresent, Leighton Buzzard, admitted obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty and being in possession of a small quantity of cocaine.

He will face a trial at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on January 17.

Both a condition of Taylor’s discharge and a condition of Willis’ bail ordered them not to attend any defence league or anti-Islamic gatherings of more than three people.

Both Taylor and Willis were arrested in Gallowtree Gate on October 9 following trouble at an EDL demonstration.

This is Leicester

Three plead guilty to EDL Blackburn charges

By
July 22, 2013
assault, EDL, English Defence League, threatening behaviour

THREE protesters who attended the English Defence League rally in Blackburn earlier this month have appeared in court.

Lisa Swales, 27, of Eastfield Gardens, Bradford, pleaded guilty to assaulting PC John Cuthbertson.

David Monks, 34, of Haydock Street, Bolton, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.

Robert Gavin Tromans, 29, of Beverley Road, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.

All three were remanded on bail for pre-sentence reports.

Lancashire Telegraph